The Crisp, Sydney CBD

When I used to work closer to Museum station, it was easier for me to have lunch at some of the slightly cheaper food courts and surrounding restaurants that were closer to Haymarket and Chinatown. One of the food courts that was located in the Museum and Lower Town Hall Station side of the city was the extremely hidden Telstra food court. Even if you walk past 1000 times, you still wouldn't know unless you happen to work around the area and needed a short cut when you are rushing back from lunch. That's how I originally found out that this food court exist when my former colleague and I were trying to find lunch close to work. Back then the shops at this food court didn't seem to interest us at the time so we walked elsewhere. 

Fast forward to a few months ago when I received an invite to try the new burger joint at this same food court. Since I haven't been working in this area for a while, it was quite hard to find this food court again. Also it was pretty far from where I work now so it was even more harder for me to get the chance to try out the food especially since it's only open on weekdays for breakfast and lunch only. Plus it closes over the Christmas break so it's definitely catering for the office workers in the vicinity. Looking at the menu, the food sounds tasty and cheap. It also promoted itself to be the "healthiest, naughtiest and tastiest", which is intriguing. Healthy burgers really?

  
Judging by the lunchtime crowd standing in front of this stall, the food must be pretty good. The breads were sourced from the Sonoma Bakery Company which has got me very keen cos those guys really do make really yummy, freshly made bread. Even though I ordered a burger combo I have noticed that everyone was ordering salads here, which looked really delicious. The salad were also much quicker to make compared to the burgers, which took about 15 minutes to be ready.

Sonoma Bread

Gotta love chips that have a crunchy outer texture and fluffy potato inside. The servings were It was so addictive that I gobbled them up very quickly. Can't recall if there was sauce available but I reckon it would be amazing to dip these crunchy morsels into one of those condiments. 

Chips ($3.00)

Yes I know I should have ordered a salad or a sandwich but all of the burger options look so tempting and delicious that I gave into the guilt. The burger options were split into 'Classic Burgers'  ($8.00) and 'Crisp Burgers' ($9.00) with fries and/or drink combo depending on your preference. You even get a choice of bread for your bun including white, rye, brioche or wholemeal. I opted for the rye after seeing the dark colour of the bun (I always wanted to try something different hehe). 

The Crisp Burger ($9.00 for burger, $11.00 with chips, $12.50 with chips and drink)

After much pondering I eventually chose the Crisp burger which was recommended by the Crisp staff. Seriously there are so many different options for wagyu burgers at this joint, it's crazy. The serving size was generous, moreish, filling and messy to handle at one sitting. The rye bun was fresh, soft and fluffy, which was what I really loved in this burger. While it wasn't healthy, the wagyu beef was juicy and worked well together with the stakcs of lettuce and melted vintage cheese. While it was hard to pick up the whole burger without everything falling apart, it satisfied my hunger and got me full enough to last the rest of the day.

The Crisp Burger - seasoned wagyu beef pattie, lettuce, tomato, aged vintage cheddar, balsamic onion marinade and herb aioli

If you are trying to find the healthier aspect of the company's slogan, you get to make your own salads from $6.00 or choose from the pre-made salads available on the menu for only $9 or $10.50 if you want to get a drink as well for a salad combo. You can also get sandwiches which were priced between $6-$8. 
 

While it felt rushed especially with the lunchtime crowd, I wouldn't mind ordering more food from Crisp if I was working much closer. If only it opened for dinner or even on weekends. The prices are cheap and the food satisfied my hunger especially with the servings. It was so delicious that when I was eating some leftovers at work, my colleagues were getting cravings from the smell alone. Will come back to try the salads since nearly everyone was ordering them while I was waiting for my food (gotta be health conscious right guys?). 

Disclaimer: The Random Foodie dined as a guest of The Crisp. Opinions remain personal.

The Crisp
Telstra Plaza, 324-330 Pitt Street
Sydney NSW 2000
0416 545 343 (if you want to pre-order before 12:30pm)
http://www.thecrisp.com.au/
Breakfast: Mon-Fri 8:00am - 11:00am
Lunch: Mon-Fri 11:00am - 2:30pm

Hakata-Maru Ramen, Haymarket

Yes I admit it. This winter, I'm addicted to ramen. There I've said it. Can't be helped when quite a few ramen joints have opened up within a short space of time. Hakata-Maru Ramen at Market City Food Court opened about a couple of weeks after the opening of Sussex Centre Food Court's Ramen Ikkyu. While there was so much hype and countless reviews (and criticisms) about the latter, you don't really hear much about Hakata-Maru Ramen unless you are in the area. It was heartwarming to see this opening at Market City as it used to be an old regular spot back in my uni days.

Hakata-Maru Ramen is the first store to open in Australia under Toridoll Corporation, which has more than 800 stores worldwide including Japan, China, Korea, America, Thailand and Russia to name a few. 

On this occasion, I was kindly invited by Hidetoshi from Toridoll to sample the dishes that Hakata-Maru Ramen has to offer. The menu was quite limited but it is the quality that matters. As the name indicates, the primary focus is hakata-style tonkotsu ramen with thin and straight noodles - similar to Ippudo but with cheaper prices.

We were invited by Hide into the kitchen to see what happens behind the scenes at this ramen joint. The ramen itself was made in-house at the premises with the tonkotsu broth cooking inside the massive pots. 

We also got a glimpse of the thin and straight Hataka-style noodles stored in a chiller where the temperature and humidity can be controlled to an optimum level. The hardness of the noodles depends on how long it was boiled though it generally takes about 40 seconds to cook till it has that bitey texture due to a low-moisture content. 

Those noodles!

You get a choice of the following ramens:
- White Tonkotsu
- Black Tonkotsu
- Red Tonkotsu
- Chasu (white tonkotsu broth with extra pork)
- Prawn and Vegetable (unfortunately not recommended for vegetarians and those on strict religious diets because they still use a pork broth)

When you order your choice of ramen and toppings, you can add as much as you want from the bowls of white sesame, red ginger and spicy takana at the front counter. 

Complimentary toppings: White sesame, Red Ginger, Spicy Takana

How crystal clear does this bowl looks? The broth was clean, slightly creamy and just simply light in its basic form. The pork was reasonably tender and the egg was full of oozy goodness. It's super cheap too! The servings sizes were slightly smaller and there wasn't as many toppings in my bowl compared to other ramen joints (unless you want to order more toppings for an additional price) but they still got me full in the end. CC absolutely loved how thin the broths really were since she's generally not a fan of thick and rich broths.

White Tonkotsu ($7.80)

If you like a bit of spice with your ramen then the Red Tonkotsu is the ideal option for you. It uses a spicy miso ball that you mix with the tonkotsu broth to add some fiery zing to your ramen. Personally I thought that it wasn't too spicy and CC was able to handle decent amounts of it. Perfect winter warmer to have on a cold day.

Red Tonkotsu ($8.80)

Out of the ramens I've had at this store, the black tonkotsu is my personal favourite (though they are all amazing). The tonkotsu broth was topped with a smear of garlic oil and a sprinkle of garlic flakes. I loved the extra punch that the garlic oil adds to the broth to give off an incredibly flavoursome, fragrant and slightly richer broth that complemented well with the toppings including the slices of pork shoulder and the crunchy black fungus. 

Black tonkotsu ($8.80)

Personally, I've never tried a vegetable ramen but hey there's always a first time for everything. Interestingly, this was the most expensive of all the other ramen dishes at $11.80 (I'm guessing it's because of the prawns?). By this point, we were incredibly stuffed and could barely try this bowl. From what we tried, we really enjoyed it. We did notice the slight difference in the broth. While it does use a tonkotsu broth, there is also soy sauce added to this dish along with stir-fried prawns and veggies to deliver one of the most interesting and delicious ramen dishes we've tried. There is also a generous amount of toppings compared to the other ramen dishes at this eatery. If we weren't so full, we would gladly slurp up the entire bowl.

Prawn and vegetable ramen ($11.80)

You can also get an extra bowl of noodles/kaedama for $1 extra which you can order separately or at the same time as your ramen. The idea of the kaedama is to add them to the broth and eat it soon after so you can taste the bitey texture of the noodles. If it didn't get full so easily these days, I would make the most of the kaedama. 

Kaedama ($1.00)

The chicken wing karaage was sold out when we were there but we were getting full from trying all of the ramen so we ended up sharing a small set of gyoza dumplings. The skin was crispy to our liking while the filling inside was piping hot. These dumplings are great to have for a side dish though I will certainly try out the chicken wings next time after hearing so much on how good they were.

Gyoza dumplings ($2.00)

While it is located inside a food court, you can still hear the staff chanting noisily like the staff at Ippudo. The interior decor stand out above the other stalls with its colourful appearance. While it does get busy at times, the service is quick so you wouldn't have to wait too long for the food. I'm sure lots of people will be checking out Hakata-Maru Ramen for the unbelievably cheap and yummy feed that will satisfy your hunger and won't blow your budget.

Disclaimer: The Random Foodie and co dined as guests of Hakata-Maru Ramen, courtesy of Hidetoshi Tsuboi and team. Thank you so much for the wonderful evening! Opinions are personal.

Hakata-Maru Ramen
Market City, Level 3 Foodcourt,
9-13 Hay Street, Haymarket NSW 2000
(02) 9281 6648
https://www.facebook.com/Hakatamaru

Ramen Ikkyu, Haymarket

If you have been looking up my instagram lately, you may know that I've been eating waaaay too much ramen. One of those ramen eateries where I've been having my regular fix was the newly opened Ramen Ikkyu. By now, everyone in the food scene would have at least heard about Ramen Ikkyu from the fact that Chef Haru Inukai (formerly of BlancHaru) is at the helm of this ramen joint to the excessive lines to the knowledge that they apparently serve a maximum of 150 bowls of ramen each day. A fact that I find hard to believe with those lines. Especially since I was able to order a bowl of ramen at 7pm on a Thursday and Friday night in recent weeks. Maybe it's 150 bowls for each ramen type? Or maybe it's just my luck since I've heard a few other people saying that everything was sold out by the end of lunch time on a weekend.

Those damn lines...

Like Wagaya and Mizuya, Ramen Ikkyu has adopted the 21st Century way of ordering your food using the touchscreen Ipad. The friendly staff at the counter takes your order and prepares your food while you wait. Along with your choice of ramen, you can also order additional ramen toppings such as an extra egg, slices of cha-shu or even pork rib! While the line where you wait to order your food on the ipad was fairly quick, the time to wait for your food to get ready was much longer especially with so much recent hype.
 

What makes Ramen Ikkyu unique to other ramen joints is the Paitan soup that they use in the Ikkyu ramen broth. This is a white broth made from a mixture of chicken and pork bones and boiled for several hours. This makes the broth to be fairly rich but not to the extent of Gumshara Ramen.

Ramen condiments including garlic, ginger and chilli flakes

I've overheard many people around me recommending the Ikkyu (shoyu) ramen/no.3 ramen so why not? The shoyu (or soy) base delivers a reasonably thick and rich broth full of flavour. While I really enjoyed this ramen, CC thought it was too thick to handle and struggled to finish. I especially loved the touch of soy used in this bowl for that extra depth in flavour. The 3 thick slices of cha-shu (pork) were somewhat sweet and incredibly tender to the point that it melts in your mouth. It was well roasted and smoked with an equal balance of pork meat and fat. It is also topped with crunchy bamboo shoots, egg, shallots, bean sprouts, seaweed and black fungus which deliver diverse layers of texture to your ramen bowl. These toppings are certainly one of the qualities that makes Ramen Ikkyu stand out over the other ramen joints. I especially loved that the soft-boiled egg (well one half of it) is already in the ramen when I order the ramen as I always forget to order it in the past. Oozy stuff! 

Ikkyu (shoyu) Ramen ($10.50)  

That oozy egg!

If you prefer thinner broths, then the Tokyo (shoyu) ramen is the one for you. Ramen Ikkyu uses a chicken stock in this type of ramen to make it thin though the soy enhances the overall light flavour. In addition, the noodles were springy and bouncy on this occasion. It was actually quite popular on the night I tried this dish since it was listed as sold out just after I made my order. CC tried a bit from this bowl and really loved it for its lightness. Very delicious!

Tokyo (shoyo) Ramen ($10.50)

On another visit, I tried the Ikkyu (miso) Ramen which is incredibly flavoursome but thicker and richer than the Ikkyu shoyu ramen thanks to the pork stock mixed with the miso. The toppings differ from the other types of ramen with lots of veggies to enjoy including carrots, corn, onions and cabbage. It was also a tad more salty than the other ramen bowls but the broth was still quite flavoursome and colourful. Plus eating the cha-shu in chopped up pieces made it much easier (and less embarrassing) to eat when you're with your mates or even your date.

 

Ikkyu (miso) Ramen ($10.50)

While the noodles do have a bitey, al-dente texture (Chef Haru makes his own noodles), they do get softer fairly soon but never fear! One of the amazing things about Ramen Ikkyu is that you can get an extra bowl of noodles if you present your receipt to the counter staff before you finish your soup. For free!

Freeeeeee noodles!

The food court is certainly an interesting setting which echoes the likes of Gumshara Ramen at Eating World across the street. It should be interesting to see how the crowds for Ramen Ikkyu will effect the other longstanding stalls in the same food court. I hope that this means more exposure for those shops as well. The prices are cheap for those on a budget with most of the ramen bowls costing at $10.50 with the veggie ramen being the most expensive at $12.50. The bowls will get you full so it's certainly great value for money. Best ramen in Sydney? I wouldn't say yes but it is different to the usual ramen joints. And the staff seemed friendly despite the queues. Even spotted Chef Haru chatting to some of the customers. Will be coming here more regularly for a cheap eat and to try one of the salt-based (shio) ramen bowls as well as the chilli oil ramen. Hopefully, the queues decrease once the hype slows down over time.

Ramen Ikkyu
Shop F1A Sussex Centre Food Court,
401 Sussex Street, Sydney NSW 2000
(02) 9281 0998
http://menikkyu.com.au/

Ton Ton Takeaway Chifley, Sydney CBD

After the closure of Ton Ton Ramen at Regent Place, you could be forgiven for thinking that it was gone for good. Fear not! Another branch remains open at Chifley Plaza close to Martin Place. Unlike Regent Place which seems to be aimed at the student crowd and tourists wandering in the Town Hall area, this takeaway shop is dominated by nearby office workers looking for a quick lunch. But hey at least it's still open (for lunch only) if you are a massive fan of their food!

I was going to choose the signature Ton Ton ramen but then I spotted the $10 lunch deal with ramen, 3 gyoza pork dumplings and a choice of a bottle of water or a can of lemonade for $10. Sounds too good to be true? On this occasion, the ramen they had on offer for the $10 lunch deal was miso ramen - one of my faves :).

Miso ramen - Miso-paste flavoured soup topped with BBQ Pork ($9.00)

When I got the ramen, I've noticed that the noodles were buried underneath an epic pile of bean sprouts, shallots, char siu (BBQ pork), sesame seeds and nori. The broth was quite rich and thick but not to Gumshara Ramen's level of thickness. For a miso-paste soup, the broth wasn't as flavoursome as I hoped. However, I did enjoy the BBQ pork which was melting in my mouth. The moist and soft BBQ pork and the firm ramen noodles made up for an otherwise fairly average broth. Maybe it's just my personal preference lol. The serving size is huge so it should keep you satisfied for a few hours or much longer if you have everything from the bowl.

What was really disappointing was the pork gyoza dumplings. I was expecting them to be piping hot with a firm texture. I reckon these dumplings were out in the open for a few hours because it was way too cold, soft and lumpy. 

Pork gyoza dumplings (can't remember price on its own)

Considering the terrible weather we've had lately, I decided to make another visit to Ton Ton Takeaway (only a good 5-7 minutes walk from work) to try out the TonTon Ramen. While it was a tad oily, it was more flavoursome than the miso ramen with a nice but relatively minor spicy hit that I loved. While it's not your average tonkotsu ramen particularly when it comes to flavour, ingredients and richness (especially Gumshara); it does hit the spot on a cold, wintery day. Once again, the pork was soft and the noodles were bitey though an oozy egg would be perfect for this ramen.

TonTon Ramen - a special 'Tonkotsu' soup - mildly spiced thick pork broth topped with BBQ pork ($9.80)

Though I thought that the miso ramen wasn't the best that I've taste, I am still eager to try out the many other ramen options on the menu including the Chicken Kara-age ramen, spicy miso ramen and the Kogashi Ninniku (black sesame) ramen. There is a decent variety of choices on what to eat at Ton Ton Takeaway. Not only do you get noodles like ramen, udon and soba noodles, you could also get rice dishes like rice bowls, teriyaki and curry dishes. For a generous serving, the prices are very cheap at less than $10 for nearly every dish on the menu for anyone who is on a budget. While there is a wait because of the hectic lunch hours and the busy office workers in the area, it is fast paced so you don't need to wait too long to get your feed. Or if you are free all day, I'd recommend going in non-peak lunch hours (before 12:15pm and after 1:30-2pm) so you won't need to wait too long at all. 

Ton Ton Ramen
Level 1, F1, Chifley Plaza
2 Chifley Square Sydney NSW 2000
(02) 9222 9960
http://www.tontontakeaway.com.au/chifley/default.aspx?page=12

Galeries Victoria Food Adventures, Sydney CBD

You may think 'Galeries Victoria food court has decent food?' Well the selection is not bad actually. For about a month, Galeries Victoria had a deal where you visit 4 of their restaurants, take away joints or cafes and you get a free meal from a selection of their renowned restaurants. All you need was to download the Galeries Victoria app on your smart phone and use it to scan the barcode when you purchase a meal of more than $8? Sounds too good to be true? For me, it kind of was but what matters most was the journey of trying out as many eating joints as possible before the deal finished on Friday 10th May.

It was a surprisingly tough adventure because my work place was closer to Martin Place so the closest food courts for me were the Westfield Food Court and MLC and some of the many hidden food courts around the Martin Place area catering to the office workers. But with a deal like this, the opportunity was just too good to miss.

CHAT THAI

This much smaller version of the Chat Thai restaurant empire is catered for those who want a quick lunch rather than waiting to get a seat in the restaurant like the other branches. It was around before the remodelling of the Galeries Victoria Food Court (back when it looked a lot less fancy then it does now) and has kept up with the glossier decor. What makes this different to other Chat Thai branches is that it really emphasises on delivering food fast. I accidentally stepped in line without knowing what to get and before I know it, I was at the front of the line with many hungry people waiting behind me gaaaah.

As it was a really warm day for Autumn, I decided to go with Som Dtum Sua, one of their many green papaya salads (looking at menu at other branches, I think this salad is only offered at the Galeries Victoria branch). According to the menu, it is the Laotian version of the green papaya salad consisting of rice noodles, pickled crab and fermented fish. While I applaud it for its fresh flavours, it was way too spicy for me especially with chilli flakes ever-present throughout the salad. I could only down half of the salad before the heat got to me. What the hell happened? So weeaaaak!

Som Dtum Sua ($13.90)

I'm a huge fan of satay chicken skewers ever since the regular uni lunch and dinner trips to Satan Thai. Can never get sick of them. Chat Thai's version is no exception. Aside from the tender chicken, the satay sauce has that chunky texture that I love especially with chopped peanuts. I also dig the cucumber chilli salad on the side which after that ordeal is thankfully not too intense on the palate.  

Chicken satay skewers ($3.00 each)

Might need to stay away from the spicy salads for a while. Will still come back to try the many other dishes that Chat Thai offers especially the noodles now that the weather is colder. As it was my first time using the app, I was having trouble figuring out how it works and the staff were quite patient and attentive to my requests. You can also find Chat Thai branches in Haymarket, Westfield CBD, Manly and Randwick.

Chat Thai
Shop 1, Lower Ground
500 George Street, Sydney NSW 2000
(02) 9283 5789
http://www.chatthai.com.au/



MADAME NHU

I wanted to head to this restaurant more often to try the pho since my last visit in early 2012 but it often escaped my mind every time I head to the city. Possibly because I wasn't sure how good the pho would be especially after many disappointments around the CBD area in the past. Better late than never! 

At Madame Nhu, they seem to offer a wide range of pho dishes. While there was the usual beef pho (pho nam, pho tai, pho dac biet), there was also chicken pho, prawn pho and vegetarian pho! I don't usually order the pho dac biet but when I do, I expect it to be brilliant. Thankfully I found that Madame Nhu's version is one of the better pho dishes that I've had in the CBD area. While they didn't offer the usual pho dac biet ingredients like tripe and tendon; the three styles of beef consisting of the thick-cut Tasmanian beef brisket, medium-well sliced rump steak and the beef in the form of meat balls were enough to satisfy my taste buds. What makes this better was the fragrant and flavoursome broth in addition to the well cooked rice noodles. My only issue was the bits of fat sticking onto the beef brisket and the broth filling up right to the top so it was splashing everywhere on my tray. Nothing major though. Will definitely head here more often whenever I am craving for pho at lunch.

Signature dac biet ($10.50)

Madame Nhu
Shop 5, Lower Ground
500 George Street, Sydney NSW 2000
(02) 92833355
http://www.madamenhu.com.au/ 



ICHI BAN BOSHI EXPRESS

Everyone who is into Japanese food will know about Ichi-Ban Boshi on Level 2 of Galeries Victoria where there are constant queues of hungry diners waiting outside the restaurant. Since the food court renovation, they have opened another branch at the lower ground food court where you can get the same food from that restaurant with lower prices, fast service and without the need to wait for a table. At Ichi Ban Boshi Express, the main menu is limited compared to the restaurant version but they do offer some of their ramen dishes as special items including the Tokyo Ramen, Karaage Ramen and Tofu Ramen. You can also add variety to your ramen by ordering extra toppings (like for $1-$3 extra.

Was surprised that their Tokyo ramen was not in the regular menu as it was declared by Ichi-Ban as their 'most popular style of ramen' but it can be spotted on the separate special menu at the front of the counter. As the Tokyo ramen is a soy-based ramen, I found the broth to be slightly salty though it was also dark, clear and not heavy at all compared to Gumshara's tonkotsu ramen though it was very filling (NB: tonkotsu ramen is unavailable at Ichi-Ban Boshi Express. There is also only 15 servings available per day if you try your luck at Ichi-Ban Boshi on Level 2). I also really enjoyed the thick slices of pork, the halved, soft-boiled oozy egg for some good protein boost, the crispy nori (seaweed) sheet and the ramen noodles, which has a nice bitey texture that we all want when we eat a bowl of ramen. It was a plain looking broth but it was perfect for a cold winter day. 

Tokyo Ramen ($9.00) 

Very keen to try the miso ramen, won ton ramen and the karaage ramen when I head to Ichi-Ban Boshi next time. If you are not a fan of ramen, there was also udon and soba noodles dishes as well as non-noodle plates like the rice bowls or a side dish of edamame. Will definitely head to Ichi-Ban Boshi at level 2 to try out their generous selection of dishes...if only I can bear with the queues. 

Ichi Ban Boshi Express
Shop 8, Lower Ground
500 George Street, Sydney NSW 2000
(02) 9264 7780
http://www.ichibanboshi.com.au/shop/syd/cbd2/index.html


Ichi Ban Boshi
Level 2, The Galeries,
500 George Street, Sydney NSW 2000
02 9262 7677
http://www.ichibanboshi.com.au/


MERO MERO

One thing that I've spotted at lunch times here from my visits were the huge crowds waiting to order at the Mero Mero counter. This one serves salads, sandwiches, paninis and wraps, which will appeal to the health conscious and vegetarian market...although they do also serve macarons! It even lets you make your own salad using the choices on a card. Knowing the epic queues at lunchtime and because work was too hectic that day for me to head down to Galeries Victoria, I decided to check it out much later since it was a Thursday evening. 

On this occasion, I was keen to try the Spicy Italian sandwich but the bread was sold out. They did offer the same fillings as a wrap so I went along with that. Was surprised at how long the wrap was. Really really long. I was so hungry that I ended up having a bite before taking a photo. Sorry guys.

 

Spicy Italian Wrap ($11.00)

The service was ok but not too welcoming however the food was satisfying enough. Really enjoyed the crispy coating on the chicken as well as the spicy mayo and the fresh tomatoes. Having said that, the Spicy Italian Chicken really wasn't spicy at all so it's good if you can't stand extremely spicy food. Ended up getting very messy from the sauce and the really massive wrap itself. In fact I got full very fast after eating more than half of the wrap. Might try one of the salads or sandwiches next time I'm here or at its Westfield store.

Mero Mero
Shop 8, Lower Ground
500 George Street, Sydney NSW 2000



SUSHI HOTARU

I wasn't sure if I fulfilled my four meals at four different restaurants in order to get a free 5th meal especially after my epic confusion at Chat Thai when I was using the app for the first time. So I decided to go for a backup and try one more restaurant in case it didn't go through. I was also keen for sushi. Unbelievably, I have only been to Sushi Hotaru once when they've first opened a couple of years ago. I know I should go here more often especially since all of their plates (except sashimi and side plates) are priced at $3. 

Unfortunately as it was a Friday lunch (and the last day of the promotion), there was a massive line of people waiting to get a table. Inside you can see the diners sitting at the long sushi train as well as some other diners sitting at tables where they order using the ipad similarly to Mizuya and Wagaya. Was going to give up and head back down until I've noticed the sign outside the restaurant, which listed the lunch bento box special.

There are a few choices for Sushi Hotaru's lunch box including the Mix Box A which has mostly nigiri sushi and a couple of sushi rolls, the salmon box with 5 pieces of salmon nigiri sushi and six salmon sushi rolls. I ended up choosing the Mix Box B that consists of 6 different varieties of nigiri sushi (8 pieces in total). You also get a complimentary miso soup with the lunch box.

Lunch Box - Mix Box B ($12.00): Clockwise from Top Left: Grilled Salmon x 2, Grilled Scallop x 2, Kingfish, Tuna, Scallop, Salmon

Both the grilled salmon and the scallop nigiri sushi were winners for me as they were made to order. I really loved the charred texture that you can immediately taste as you pop it into your mouth.

Grilled scallop nigiri - well cooked. love the texture!
 

Grilled salmon nigiri - Slightly pinkish on the side but still has the smoky texture which makes it very tasty

I also found the raw nigiri sushi to be very delicious though quite cheeky. As I bite into the sushi, I notice a little bit of wasabi creeping between the seafood and the rice. Love it! My fave ones to recommend would be the salmon and the kingfish but to be honest I really like them all!

Salmon nigiri - it's amazing how thick the salmon was cut!
 

Scallop nigiri - very juicy

Tuna nigiri - flavours were interesting. The colour looks quite funky

Kingfish nigiri - don't eat enough kingfish these days. Very yummy and refreshing

Thought that the miso soup was useful to cleanse the palate after too much sushi. Great to have on a cold winter day.

Miso soup

Possibly one of the best sushi places I've ever had. Everything was freshly made and tasty. If I ate at the restaurant, I could easily down a few plates. At least 8 of them. Really wishing that my work place was much closer to this gem.

Sushi Hotaru
Shop RP1, 500 George Street
Sydney NSW 2000


JIMMY'S RECIPE

About a week later, I finally got confirmation that I got the free meal. Yay!!! Around this point, I've been having epic cravings for Malaysian food thanks to the onslaught of winter weather lately so I finally head my way back to Galeries Victoria for one of their free meal options at Jimmy's Recipe , which specialises in Malaysian cuisine including classics like har mee, Nasi Lemak, char kway teow, murtabek and, of course, laksa. 

While there were heaps of people waiting to order their food, the line moves very quickly. Also, no matter how packed it gets you can still find somewhere to sit either inside or at the tables outside in front of the restaurant. About less than 1 minute later, I was already at the front of the line. Now when I ask the person at the counter about the free meal, she said that the free meal promotion is over. While checking into 4 different restaurants using the Galeries Victoria app has finished on 10th May, the free meal deal is still valid until 31st May. It got rectified pretty quickly and I got my meal within a flash. Literally within one minute of ordering or much less. I barely had time to breath before the laksa was already on the tray.

Chicken laksa ($8.20) 

It was interesting spotting and tasting two different types of noodles in my laksa which were vermicelli and hokkein noodles. The serving was so huge and generous that my stomach felt like it needed pumping as I was stumbling back to work. The broth was fairly creamy and smooth, while the chicken was tender and easy to pull apart. Everything from the broth to the noodles and the chicken were so flavoursome that your tastebuds are partying really hard in your mouth and you just wanna have more and more. Unfortunately, your stomach is saying otherwise as it was rich and thick...and it does have coconut milk which will scream gym time for your weight. While you can sense the spicy flavours, it was not too hot that it burns your tongue. I have heard how amazing the laksa really is at Malay Chinese Takeaway so will definitely try it soon. 

To be honest, I haven't eaten much laksa in my whole life. About two times to be exact. So I can't say on this occasion on whether it's the best laksa I've ever had in Sydney (or so they claim on their menu) since I haven't tried it at other restaurants yet. For what I've had, I really enjoyed it and will say that it's a winner for me. There were so many dishes that I need to try at Jimmy's Recipe especially the Har Mee, Haianese Chicken Rice and Char Kway Teow so I'll need to make a few more visits. While there was a minor mishap and a bit of language barrier, it was extremely quick service, really cheap prices and delicious food with massive servings. Now excuse me while I hit the treadmill...

Jimmy's Recipe
Shop RG16, Galeries Victoria
500 George Street, Sydney NSW 2000
(02) 9267 2288